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Q. Are you designing all twelve of the Twelve Days ornaments, and when is the series going to be completed?
A. Yes! I'm designing an embroidered felt ornament for all twelve days of the Twelve Days of Christmas song. If all goes well, I plan to be finished with series by Jan 2018. You can learn more about the series here.

Q. I love your handmade (fill in blank here), but I don't sew. Do you sell ready-made or custom order (fill in blank here)?

A. Pretty rarely. Right now time does not allow for any commissions or custom orders. Occasionally I might crank out some samples or needle books for the shop, and if I ever do I'll be sure to blog it. If you would like to find someone who sells handmade items from mmmcrafts patterns, a great place to start is the mmmakers list on my site.

Q. Are you going to make more needle books to sell? When?

A. I maaaaaybe plan to make more. Sometime in the nebulous future. Now that the DIY pattern is available in my Etsy shop I've moved on to other projects that are taking all my time.

A. If you live in a cruel part of the mint eating world where you can't just go down to the corner drugstore and buy a delicious and refreshing tin of Altoids® Curiously Strong Mints, then you can buy them online directly from Altoids® or you can usually find them (fulls or empties) on Ebay.com.

If you are looking for generic tins, there are blank same-sized tins sold at various shops on Etsy and Ebay, for example at this shop:http://www.etsy.com/shop/tinsupply
A quick search will turn up several options.(Disclaimer: Use due caution and read the fine print, like you would with any internet purchase!) Also, there seems to be a good substitute in Barkleys® mint tins, or so I hear.

I'm always looking for good tin substitutes for any part of the world that is unlucky enough not to have Altoids® readily available, so let me know if you run into any!

A. Remnants are great for this pattern because the actual amount of fur needed for each TravelWee is quite small. Etsy.com and Ebay.com are ideal resources for that! Use 'synthetic shag fur' and similar terms in your search field and see what you can find. There are also some online fabric retailers that sell a good selection of synthetic furs.

Q. Where do you get your wool and wool-blend felt? And why do you recommend it, anyway?

A. Here's the skinny on wool felts:

Wool-blendfelt is a mix of rayon and wool. There's a much MUCH wider color selection compared to acrylic felt, and large pieces are still an affordable price. I find it works well for lots of projects. I usually purchase my wool-blend felt from these wonderful vendors in 12 x 18 inch pieces:

100% woolfelt comes in such rich colors and has a slightly heavier texture and more substantial feel than wool blend. I find it does especially well for detailed projects, like my needle books. I can personally recommend Felt On The Fly as a great source:

Why not acrylic craft felt? I don't usually recommend acrylic craft felt for use in my patterns (there are some limited exceptions!). While it is the most economical option and the most readily available at your local shop, the colors are typically limited, the texture is not great, and it is not very durable. It gets an unattractive halo of fuzz and pills after a short while. Small pieces will fray and pull apart. It might also melt if you iron it. Doh!

Q. Can I sell items that I make with your sewing patterns?

A. Yes, if you are a home sewer you can sew up a storm with your own little hands and sell the items, with some limitations. Please read them here!

Q. If you are a home schooler, how do you have time to blog and create patterns?

A. I don't watch much TV. I don't garden. I am a night owl. And being creative wins out over housework a lot. sigh. A lot.

Q. What kind of software do you use to make your patterns?

A. I use Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. Unfortunately, there is no magic button you press that writes the pattern and draws the diagrams. All the diagrams and drawings are done by me, either digitally or by hand. But I like doing it. I'm weird that way.

Q. I really like that No OMG graphic in your sidebar. Can I copy that on my blog?

A. I'd love for you to. Help yourself to that image by right-clicking and saving it. Use it and feel free to share it. It's a sentiment I'd love to see popping up everywhere.

Q. What exactly is a 'follower of Christ'?

A. I'm simply a Christian – 'follower of Christ' is a description of me, but not the name of my church. The church I worship with has "Church Of Christ" on the sign, but that is more of a description of who we are and who we worship than an official label. You can read more about my faith here.

Q. What curriculum do you use for home schooling?

A. We loved Sonlight. But I've never used anything else, so I'm not the best source for comparisons. I supplemented here and there with random other things I found, but I used Sonlight for the core up through 6th grade. After that we enrolled in a hybrid school that uses their own curriculum.

Q. I asked a question in your comments but you never emailed me. Are you too busy?

A. I try to answer all the questions I get from your comments within the comments themselves, so that if someone else has the same question they will get their answer before they have to ask. If you would like to get an email response, check the box that says "email follow-up comments to..." in the comment form. If you did that and I still didn't answer your question, I'm sorry! Sometimes I get distracted. Well, a lot actually. Sometimes I'm functioning on dangerously low caffeine levels. Just ask again, or you can always try me on my Facebook page: facebook.com/mmmcraftspatterns.

Q. If I send you my fabulous product for free, will you give it a rave review on one of your posts? *wink wink*

A. Everyone likes free stuff. No guarantees I will post anything about it. This is a personal blog. I don't post about things that aren't meaningful to me or that I'm not truly jazzed about. It's all about me. (Circling head with index finger)

Q. I'd love to post about one of your projects. Can I link to your blog/borrow a photo of it?

A. Links are always welcome, thank you! If you would like to borrow one of my photos, I'm happy for you to if you play along with the rules: Please only borrow a photo or two of a completed project. No in progress or tutorial photos/diagrams. And please always credit me with the photo, Larissa Holland, and provide a link to mmmcrafts.blogspot.com. Thanks.

Q. Can I republish one of your posts on my blog? I'll provide a link and everything.

Ruth M, Hey there, and thank you. Alas, I took off the retro star link when a helpful reader said it was broken. It's now a private blog. Here is a link to it from How About Orange, maybe you can swing an invitation.http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2006/12/retro-star-instructions.html

I was curious to know where you buy your felt - none of the craft stores in my area have a good color selection and since you use it often (it seems) I figured you had found a place with good colors or a good price or both. Thanks!!

Hi LarissaI bought your Binky Bunny pattern some time ago and finally had some time to sit down and make one which I slightly tweaked as Masquerade Ball Bunny. I shared it and my blog and have referred you and your shop for the pattern. If you are curious my Bunny turned out..here is my blog:http://notaisihati.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/mmmcrafts/. God Bless from Melbourne, Australia

Thank you for your wonderful website and tutorials. Your website caught my attention because of the no OMG graphic. I purchased the Flora needle book pattern and enjoyed making it. So cute and practical.

Found some of you stuff in Pinterest and ended up trolling through your blog for a loooong time. Great stuff, loved it all, but particularly all the bits about your trip to Rio. I'm not a native but grew up there and it's a city that holds a very special place in my heart, although I've been living in London for more than 20 years now. Thanks for letting me share it again through your eyes!

Ola, Graciela!Thanks so much for this sweet note. I'm so glad you found my blog. My trip to Rio was so great, what a beautiful country. I also loved my trip to London town (did you see those posts?) Luck you to live there! Have a lovely day!

Hey, Patsy,Sorry, no book in the works. I will have a bundle for all twelve patterns when the series is complete, but it's only halfway done. You can stay current by following my blog or facebook page on pattern releases. I plan to release four more this year. There are currently bundles in the shop for 1-3, 4-6, or 1-6. mmmcrafts.etsy.com

Hi, I was looking for something to keep my Sunday school kids attentive during worship service when I stumbled upon your page where I found exactly what I was looking for. Almost as if you you took the idea out of my mind. I was quite intrigued by your page and even more so when I realized we share the same faith. Your ideas and craft are quite amazing and i'm encouraging you to keep it up. I can already tell i'll be coming here quite a lot to get some Sunday school ideas ^_^

I love your coordinated sets of the first 8 days of Christmas. I'm hoping to make all 12 days, possibly in a "coastal" or "beachy" color palette and am trying to figure out how many different colors I need in my palette to have enough variety for the full set, but not too many. (I tried using the Benzie sets as a guide, but they seem to each include 2 colorways for each ornament rather than a spectrum of colors for making 2 different ornaments in a coordinated colorway.)

Hello, IndyElmer, thank you! I'd think 10 colors would provide enough variation for you. Of course I'm a color fanatic so you might be able to get away with less. I'd make sure whatever color scheme you go with to have lights, mediums, and a few darks. That will be important to add contrast and make them interesting. Love to see what you make!

Hi, Dana! Thanks for your purchase. Both the blog comments and the Etsy convos come directly to my email so you do have a way to contact me directly, no worries.When you purchase a pattern from Etsy you should receive a receipt via email that has instructions for downloading. If you haven't received it you should check your spam folder and also make sure the email on file with Etsy is a current one.You may download your pattern anytime by logging in to your Etsy account from a browser (not the app) and going to You > Purchases and reviewsThe download link is with your purchase record. It's not a one time shot so you can re-download it anytime you need to if you lose the file. Thanks again!Larissa

These patterns were easy to follow and provided so much detailed advice in the illustrations and notes! Thank you for your time and talent! I made a few for my mother for Christmas this year and it brought her to tears when she found out I had made them, not bought them. She dearly loves the 12 days of Christmas song so it was the perfect gift for a mother who inspired me as a young girl to love crafting. Home-made magic! My sister wants a collection and, of course, I plan to make one for myself as well. I can't thank you enough for beautiful designs and for sharing this with everyone! God bless and sending a big thank you hug from California!

Hello. Enough about me. Let's hear from you! If you have a question, I answer with a reply comment, so be sure to click the 'subscribe by email' link as you post your question to receive the answer via email. Thanks!

Click here for more information:

NEW PATTERN! The final pattern in a series of twelve.

TWELVE DAYS ORNAMENT SERIES:

MORE PDF PATTERNS:

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Follower of Christ, wife of my hero, mom to two crazy girlies, home school teacher, pattern designer, paper cutter, sewing junkie, and voracious reader. I'm addicted to all things artsy and craftsy. And coffee.

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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be madeknown to God. And the peace of God, which surpassesallcomprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in ChristJesus. Phil. 4:6,7

Legalese

All personal images and words are copyrighted 2008-2017 Larissa Holland unless otherwise noted, and are not for commercial use.

Pinning and linking are very welcome! Thank you! It is NOT OK for you to copy and republish my posts, in part or whole. It is NOT OK to re-upload my printable files to any other server.

It is fine by me if you would like to borrow one or two photos of a finished project to go with your link to my blog, but please credit the photo to me and kindly provide a link along with the credit. Thanks!